Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende from the Netherlands have signed a Strategic Partnership Arrangement on Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management, elevating the relationship between the two countries to the highest level.
The agreement was signed on October 4 in Brussels, where both leaders met for the ASEM Summit.
The Strategic Partnership Arrangement establishes the framework for long-term bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands in climate change adaptation and water management.
It enhances exchange between government agencies, research institutions and businesses in both countries, based on mutual interests.
“The Arrangement is a result of the longstanding and intensifying cooperation between the Netherlands and Vietnam in the field of climate change adaptation and water management” says Joop Scheffers, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Vietnam. “By the signing of the Strategic Partnership, our countries recognise each other as preferred partners for cooperation in this field” he added.
Both the Netherlands and Vietnam belong to the nations most adversely affected by the impacts of climate change in the future, and therefore the countries have a common interest. The Dutch expertise in the field of climate change and water management can be put to use in Vietnam as well, as is shown by the Dutch involvement in various Vietnamese development plans related to climate change and water management.
The Netherlands has been asked by Vietnam to closely cooperate on developing an integrated long-term Mekong Delta Vision, to respond to the consequences of climate change. The plan will ensure the sustainable socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta, after the example of the Delta Plan in the Netherlands.
In that context, PM Dung has invited former Dutch agriculture minister and chairman of the Deltacommittee Cees Veerman as his special advisor for complex climate change issues.
Related to the delta cooperation, Ho Chi Minh City and the Dutch port city of Rotterdam work together to improve climate change preparedness.This collaboration is intended to expand geographically to the southern key economic zones, extending the fields of cooperation to strategic port development, port management, transport and logistics.
According to Mr. Scheffers, The Netherlands is keen for the Strategic Partnership Arrangement to be a springboard for growing Dutch private sector involvement in Vietnam. “The Arrangement will promote knowledge exchange and increase Dutch trade and investment opportunities with and in Vietnam.”
